Naruto Uzumaki's Guide to Rescuing a CEO From Hims
by misshris18
Summary: After a theft of something very important to Sasuke Uchiha from his company Uchiha Industries, FBI agent Naruto Uzumaki comes to the rescue. AU, SasuNaru Slash, smut/lemon


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, Kishimoto does. No profit is being made from this story.

**Warning: **This story contains explicit m/m sex (solo, but with explicit fantasies). Don't like it - that's what the **back** button is for.

**Naruto**** Uzumaki's Guide to Rescuing a CEO From Himself**

Sasuke Uchiha stops in the process of getting out of his chair at the sound of giggling coming out from outside his office. _Giggling_. His secretary _never_ giggles. She is a middle-aged paragon of virtue who hasn't so much as cracked a smile in all the time she has worked for him, ever since he took over the company after his father's death 8 years ago. Still, the sound is unmistakable; he is treated to it on a regular basis from any of the women he is dating. Scowling, he heads determinedly for the door. This is no time for levity – Uchiha Industries is facing its biggest trial since the death of its CEO, Fugaku Uchiha. Sasuke is at his wits' end, and he does not appreciate his staff not being as focused as him on finding a solution for the problems they are facing.

He throws the door open, scowl still twisting his features. Shizune starts and her smiling face fades back into the sober lines Sasuke is much more used to. However, it is the person standing next to her that immediately captures Sasuke's undivided attention. 'Tall' is his first impression, the man's body sports well-defined broad shoulders plainly visible through the fine cotton shirt hugging his frame. 'Lean' is another description leaping at him. The man is leaning his hip against Shizune's desk, his posture one of utter relaxation. Long, jeans-clad, sleekly muscled legs crossed at the ankles draw the gaze to the man's rather large feet stuffed in a pair of battered Converses. A sports jacket is hanging from one large hand, the other splayed open on the desk to balance him. His torso… Well, Sasuke would rather not think about the man's torso while he is standing in plain sight of the entire floor where anyone could see him. Shaking himself from his rather obvious checking-out of the stranger, his eyes are drawn to his face and Sasuke's brain promptly short-circuits.

The man is by no means stunningly beautiful, but he is stunning none-the-less. Sasuke feels like he is looking at a Van Gogh painting, all yellow sunflowers and blue, blue sky. He notices a strong jaw, grinning lips with a flash of white teeth, high cheekbones, some strange scarring on the man's cheeks, but he'll leave that for later because he is drowning in the bluest eyes he has ever encountered. He now knows the meaning of 'cerulean', where before he had simply scoffed at the overly-poetical description. He also knows the feeling of being bowled over by someone he's just met, and it is this realisation that makes him snap out of his daze and become aware of his surroundings again. He discovers that he is himself the subject of some intense scrutinising, from his head to his feet and back. The man's eyes come back to his face and lock onto his and Sasuke is more than a little shocked to discover that the blue has darkened with desire and approval.

Startled, Sasuke takes a step back and squares his shoulders. He raises an imperious eyebrow at Shizune, making it clear he is waiting for an explanation.

"Uchiha-san," Shizune starts in her usual no-nonsense voice. "This is Naruto Uzumaki, the FBI agent you requested." She does not elaborate. Sasuke knows her meaning perfectly well and it would not do to spread the information about any more than it already was. Clearly there are untrustworthy characters in the company, all things considered.

"Uzumaki-san, welcome to Uchiha Industries. Thank you for arriving so promptly." He offers his hand. Naruto shakes it, holding on a fraction longer than absolutely necessary.

"Uchiha-san. Please call me Naruto. Jiraiya said it was an urgent matter in my briefing. Maybe we could go talk somewhere private?" His smile is inviting.

Sasuke nods and walks off, putting some much-needed distance between them. "This way," he throws over his shoulder. "Shizune, we'll be in the main lab."

"Thank you, Shizune-san, it was a pleasure!" Uzumaki throws Shizune a bone-melting smile as he walks by and Sasuke can practically see her swoon as she bids him goodbye. He snorts under his breath and hopes that smile is never directed at him. The carpets are quite thick and it'll be a proper nuisance to get the nosebleed out of them.

So, he thinks. First impressions: Naruto Uzumaki is a damned shameless flirt. He hopes Uzumaki can keep his zipper up long enough to solve this. Sasuke is somewhat stumped. He asked Jiraiya-sama for his best investigative agent, after explaining the need for stealth and discretion, and _this_ is who he sends?

It is common knowledge that Sasuke Uchiha is a strategic genius. Thus he employs his not insignificant faculties to deduce that obviously, there must be more to Uzumaki than meets the eye. He fervently hopes so – his reputation as well as the company's future rest on this man's abilities.

***

Once they are in the main lab, Sasuke prepares to launch into an explanation. He is much surprised therefore to see Uzumaki hold up his hand in a gesture for silence. He reaches into his jacket and withdraws a device which he then uses to sweep the lab for listening devices. Sasuke is absolutely shocked when Uzumaki heads for the northern corner and, reaching under the work surface spanning the length of the room, removes a tiny square with a blinking green LCD light on its top. Sasuke's mouth drops open and he is about to start swearing in three languages when Uzumaki makes urgent 'shut-the-fuck-up' gestures. Complying, Sasuke watches as Uzumaki takes the bug through the door on the left to the empty lab beyond and affixes it under one of the working tables. He returns to the room, locks the adjoined door; then he re-sweeps the room. Finally, he seems satisfied.

"All clear," he announces, and drops to sit on one of the stools at the central working table. "Now, Uchiha-san, please start at the beginning and tell me every detail, no matter how insignificant it may seem."

Sasuke observes that the Naruto Uzumaki sitting in front of him now is quite a bit different than the one he met just 20 minutes ago. He could quite comfortably believe Jiraiya that this man is one of the Bureau's best agents. Composing himself, he begins.

"Five days ago, on Friday evening at 21.33, the alarm in our main secure storage room went off for 14.5 seconds and then was silenced by the deactivation code. This in itself is not unusual; senior lab technicians come and go at all times to consult documents, blueprints and patent specifics as well as store their laptops and documentation for the weekend. What is unusual, however, is that on Monday morning a piece of patented technology we have created and own was missing, and the hard drives of the laptops belonging to scientists working on the project directly utilising this technology have been copied. There are also several folders of blueprints and documentation pertaining to research for that project that were disturbed, papers everywhere and out of order. They appear to have been scanned. In other words, someone working for this company has stolen all the available research and data on one of our most important and potentially profitable projects. The listening device you unearthed just now leads me to believe that this is more than a case of simple theft. We appear to be dealing with corporate espionage or possibly theft for private gain.

"Now, the thief is either a brilliant scientist or has access to one – the documentation would make no sense to someone without the necessary knowledge and skills. So I must conclude that the project will either be sold to one of our competitors, or the person responsible for stealing it intends to finish the research themselves. I will not lie to you – that particular project is potentially worth billions of dollars. It could easily be about the money as much as the function of the project itself."

Uzumaki is silent for a while, digesting the information.

"Are there different codes for different scientists?"

"Yes, but the code used to access the room belongs to someone who is currently on vacation in Europe. We checked, she really is where she's supposed to be."

"Cameras?"

"Scrambled, only white noise. No sound either."

"Fingerprints?

"The police checked. They must have worn gloves. No shoeprints either."

"Hmmm. Definitely an inside job then. Well, in that case we'll have to concentrate on who benefits from the theft and who has the most motive to perpetrate it. To start with, I want a list of all your employees, their job title, project assignments and access to their personnel records. Also, a list of previous employees going back ten years, reason for leaving the company and their personnel records from when they were working here. Concentrate on people you've sacked or who have switched jobs for your competitors as opposed to those who have retired or moved away. Maybe I could go over those with your Head of Security? I would also need some desk space somewhere in the building to be able to look at the files and conduct interviews and all that. I'll need a computer as well to connect to the FBI database and do come check-ups on your employees. I'll also need copies of everything you believe the thief has had access to, and before you start to protest, I will sign whatever confidentiality agreement you throw at me for your peace of mind. The information is pertinent to the case but will not be made available to anyone at the Bureau apart from me and Jiraiya."

Sasuke nods, relieved. This all sounds reasonable and efficient and like Uzumaki knows what he's doing. Sasuke feels the coil of unease that has tightened inside him for the past five days start to loosen. He watches as Uzumaki retrieves the bug from the other lab and replaces it where he found it. While he loathes the thought that someone could be listening and recording everything that happens in the room, he knows it will give them the upper hand if the mole thinks no one knows about his bugs. It would also give them the chance to manipulate the mole when the need arises.

Sasuke leads the way out of the lab and takes Uzumaki to Sakura Haruno, his HR manager, where he explains to her what Uzumaki needs while watching said individual switch back on the charm as if it never went away. He doesn't know why he is irritated that Uzumaki doesn't think Sasuke's important enough to utilise his charm and flirting with. The fact that Sakura never takes her eyes off Sasuke or even acknowledges Uzumaki's flirting somehow doesn't make him feel better. After all, he's dated her at one point and while she is smart and funny and very good at her job she couldn't hold his attention for long. He sees Uzumaki's eyes dart between Sasuke and Sakura and knows he's picked up on their connection. He tells Uzumaki that he will arrange for Kakashi Hatake, his Head of Security, to speak with Uzumaki as soon as he has been given some working space (Sakura's job as well). Then he escapes back to his quiet, ordered, Uzumaki-less office to get his head screwed back on.

Ino finds him there much later. He has been staring at a medical supplier contract for the past hour without getting past the second page. She grumbles at him that he isn't making her job any easier and pokes at him until he gives in and takes her to lunch. Of all his girlfriends Ino is his favourite. She is incredibly practical, an excellent trait for his Chief Financial Officer, as well as being sharp and witty and utterly loyal to him without taking any of his shit; she gives it right back at him. He thinks he would be hopelessly in love with her if he wasn't… well. Let's not go there. Still, she makes a great partner and would be an excellent mother to his children. The children he needs to re-establish the Uchiha family. This was his father's only other legacy apart from the company and he will fulfil it no matter the cost. Now, if only he could make Ino agree to marry him… But she is too sharp for his good and knows his game far too well. She is also the first to point out that being a trophy wife is hardly fair to her and while she is happy to pose as his partner for the time being, he will not be conning her into marriage any time soon.

Ino is sympathetic to his predicament. Whichever thrice-damned bastard son-of-a-bitch took his project, they knew just where to strike him so it hurts. He has put everything into this particular project; it carries far more weight than anyone could imagine. For Sasuke, it so much more important than the profit it is bound to bring in. Ino has pointed out time and again that she would happily play surrogate mother for him. However, he has yet to meet anyone that he would even consider making a go of things with. Being gay is hardly a crime in today's world, especially if you are as rich and influential as Sasuke Uchiha, but he would not want to be a single father. He needs someone to help him not become his father, to show him how to care for his children beyond their primal needs for food and shelter, to support him in that responsibility. It is a tall order and no one has ever come close to playing such a vital role for him. So he keeps Ino by his side and tries not to be too much of a bastard to her. Amazingly, she actually likes him, warts and all. It is a strange feeling and he doesn't know what the hell he has done to earn her approval, but he is pathetically grateful for it.

Ino elbows him in the side and he snaps out of his thoughts. He seems to be doing that a lot today. Right on cue blue eyes swirl in his mind and he blinks rapidly to dispel the image. Ino is grinning at him like the cat who got the canary and he frantically reviews what she has been saying to him; his mind is drawing a blank. Grimacing, he bites the bullet and asks her to repeat herself.

"I was only asking about that hunk of handsome I saw chatting to Sakura this morning. Holy cow, he is fucking insanely hot! Even you must have noticed, Sasuke!" At his silent glower, her grin widens. "Or is it that you have indeed noticed and he is what has been keeping you more distracted than usual?"

Sasuke considers lying through his teeth but Ino can always tell when he does, and anyway his blush says it all in capitalised red letters.

"Sasuke Uchiha! Are you _blushing_? Holy crap, I have seen you blush precisely once in all the time I've known you, and that was when Kakashi teased you about that gorgeous redhead from Suna Industries at last year's Christmas party. Wow, he's really got under your skin, huh? I knew it! Now listen here. I'm happy to step down as 'future wife', and there'll be no more playboy behaviour from you, do you hear? You can't push this one away like you do anyone else that catches your eye. There's something different about him, I can tell."

Sasuke's glower graduates into a death glare. Ino though is so used to them she merely assumes she has hit a sore spot.

"Ino, stop," he finally attempts. "You have no idea if he's even gay," and he is so not going to mention the _look_ from this morning lest he dig himself in deeper. "Anyway, I really need him to do his job here. If Jiraiya-sama sent him, he must be his best agent and I need to find out what is going on before I even think about starting anything else with him."

Ino relents with a knowing smile that says she is dropping the matter for the time being, but no way in hell is he getting away after everything is said and done.

***

Naruto buries himself in the case. It has been far too long since his last espionage case and he is dying to stretch his muscles again. It helps that the more he reads, the more he feels himself getting personally invested in the outcome of the investigation. He knew that Uchiha Industries is a biomedical research corporation, but he had no idea what kind of subjects its scientists worked on. This though… the implications are astounding. It looks like Sasuke is trying to create an artificial uterus, one that can be transplanted into a male or female subject and is able to carry a pregnancy to term. The research is quite advanced already, using stem cells and biomechanics as well as nanoparticles to create a suitable musculature and attach the major blood vessels in the appropriate places. It looks like the creation of an artificial placenta is the current problem the scientists are troubleshooting. It looks to be the most important part of the pregnancy as well as the riskiest – the life not only of the baby but of the mother as well hangs in the balance should the placenta rupture at any time. The blood supply is so heavy that they could both bleed out in minutes. He should know, it is what happened to his own mother – he was delivered prematurely precisely because of a ruptured placenta.

So, whoever took the research must be extremely proficient in biology, biomechanics and medical sciences in general; that, or working with such a character. With that in mind, Naruto starts going through the personnel files that have been piled on one side of the huge desk he had commandeered, putting names and details through the Bureau's database, discarding those who check out, separating those files from the dodgier individuals he comes across. He is poring through one such file when a shadow falls across the desk and he looks up to see one of the strangest people he has ever encountered. A shock of silver gray hair stick out to the left above mismatched eyes – one charcoal gray, one blood-red with a nasty scar carving through the eyelid and half the cheek. The man is wearing a black sweater whose high collar hides the lower half of his face. He is slouching in front of the desk, but Naruto has been in enough fights and has enough years training in martial arts to spot a trained killer when he sees one.

"You must be Kakashi Hatake," he says with a smile. "Naruto Uzumaki. Thank you for taking the time to assist me. Now, could we start with this scientist, Orochimaru Sannin?"

Kakashi grits his teeth and nods curtly. The kid is smart, he'll give him that – to have spotted Orochimaru's file so quickly amongst the many others.

Five hours later Naruto is exhausted but pleased with the progress they have been making. He scrutinizes Kakashi from the corner of his eye. So far he has two main suspects, thanks more to the man's reactions than his answers. What his reactions are saying is that he suspects them as well but has no actual proof and is reluctant to outright point the finger at them. Naruto looks down at the two files still in front of him. Orochimaru Sannin and Kabuto Yakushi. What are you two up to?

Kakashi fails to hide his yawn and Naruto decides to call it a day. It's already past 7pm and it has been a long day. He bids Kakashi good night and decides to pay a visit to Sasuke Uchiha before going home. Something tells him Sasuke will still be in his office, working with no intention of stopping anytime soon. He cannot deny that Sasuke has intrigued him. The stiff posture, the intensity practically vibrating through his frame, the rigid control over his every emotion and gesture… That single eyebrow lift had almost made him harden all by itself, but it was the heat in the coal-black eyes as they devoured Naruto's body that had him shaking with the suppressed need to walk over to Sasuke, push him against the door and plaster himself to that ridiculously attractive firm body. As Sasuke had come closer Naruto had noticed that Sasuke was taller than him by two inches at least. The long limbs clothed in perfectly tailored Brioni had him straining with the desire to feel them pressing him into the wall, but it was Sasuke's hair, raven black and perfectly cut, that made him smile – Sasuke had a duck butt sticking out of the back of his head! Oh, Naruto is well aware that the haircut is cutting edge and probably cost a week's wages, but it changed Sasuke from model-perfect to human, and somewhat adorable.

It is that last thought that scares Naruto shitless. He cannot be finding his current charge _adorable_! If nothing else, Sasuke would have him drawn and quartered if he ever caught wind of being called 'adorable'. For another – you don't shit where you eat. In other words – strictly no romance when he's on a case. Afterwards, maybe, but not now. Still, no harm in flirting, Naruto supposes with a slightly evil grin.

He makes his way to the top floor, where he finds Sasuke right where he pictured him – at his desk, his jacket hanging on the back of his chair, his shirtsleeves rolled up, his hair standing on end from where he's been tugging at it. Naruto wishes he'd been the one doing the tugging.

"Oh, it's you," is his somewhat unenthusiastic greeting. "Well? What have you found out?"

Naruto considers punching Sasuke for the arrogant attitude, but that may be seen as unprofessional in a certain light, although no jury would convict him, he is certain. Instead, he sits, because that annoys Sasuke more, and concisely sums up his findings from the afternoon spent with Kakashi and the files.

"That snaky bastard, I knew he had to be involved!" Sasuke fumes. He wouldn't normally be nearly as unprofessional as he is allowing himself to be at the moment. There is just something about Naruto that makes it easy for him to let his temper go and be himself. Sasuke is impressed how quickly Naruto has managed to unearth connections that even he and Kakashi seem to have missed. Sasuke supposes that having the Bureau's resources at his disposal is immensely useful.

"I am pretty certain that they are involved. However, I have not one shred of proof that would stand up in court. It is all circumstantial evidence that their attorney will have thrown out before you can say 'tosser'."

Sasuke grinds his teeth. "What do you propose we do then?"

"We'll have to lure them to expose themselves. We'll need really good bait. Perhaps one of the pretty lady scientists I have spoken to today could… entice them to return? They were ever so helpful," Naruto teases with a wide grin.

"Don't be stupid dobe, they'll never fall for something so obvious and useless to them," Sasuke scowls. Who is Naruto thinking about? Which one of those insufferable flirts would he have to sack for being so 'helpful' to Naruto?

Wait, what the hell is he thinking?!

Naruto's smirk has taken on epic proportions. "Teme, I'm just teasing. Of course they wouldn't fall for that. But maybe they would for that cute little lab technician showing them some 'improvements'… Iruka Umino, was it?"

Sasuke can feel his eye twitch. 'Cute', is he? Well, we'll see about _that_.

"I doubt Kakashi would be very happy to hear you talk that way about his boyfriend," Sasuke growls.

"Nah, I think he'll find it appropriate. Iruka is very cute, after all. Anyway," Naruto goes on with a chuckle at Sasuke's vein bulging in his forehead, "he knows his boyfriend is safe from me. I prefer them… darker, and taller," he purrs.

Sasuke feels his face flame. That voice is doing funny things to his insides. He feels a twitch in his cock, as if it's trying to get closer to his tormentor – who is currently sprawled on the chair opposite Sasuke's desk, legs relaxed and slightly apart, eyes half-lidded and boring into his own, hands linked behind his head. He is wide open, offering himself to Sasuke as if on a platter, and Sasuke _wants _to take him, oh how he wants to. He closes his eyes, as if that would ever erase the sight from his mind; but the darkness helps him centre himself. Sasuke takes a deep, deep breath but that backfires spectacularly when it only serves to draw Naruto's scent in his lungs, the freshness of cedar and bergamot filling him with the desire to burrow his nose in Naruto's neck and breathe him in for hours. He has never, ever felt so attracted to another human being in his life, be it female or male. He is finding it difficult to regain his balance; he feels like he is drowning in desire.

Naruto eyes Sasuke's excellent responsiveness to his explicit offer, making his stomach tighten as Sasuke draws in a deep breath through his nose. His own desire to submit, be taken by this man takes him by surprise. He has never been completely submissive; the more someone pushes at him, the more he pushes back – it is the only way to survive in his world. But Sasuke makes him want to submit, to give himself over to him, his submission a present to be savoured by the other man, which is an entirely different ball game.

Unsettled, Naruto stands. That's enough teasing for one night. He needs a little time to himself to process everything that Sasuke pulls from him, seemingly without meaning to.

"How about we both think about a suitable lure tonight and meet for breakfast tomorrow? My hotel at 7am?" Naruto offers easily, dragging the mood away from the stifling intensity into something lighter.

Sasuke snaps his eyes open to see Naruto getting ready to leave, jacket held firmly in front of him. He agrees with a nod, unwilling to stand and expose himself. Naruto smiles and walks away, and Sasuke is floored to see that same bone-melting smile Naruto had earlier employed on Sakura bestowed now on him. The effect is just as he predicted.

***

It is at about 3am that Sasuke jerks awake, and knows he has hit upon the perfect bait – a breakthrough in the substitute placenta research. Orochimaru is a medical genius (which had been the initial reason for his employment at Uchiha Industries), and Kabuto is very knowledgeable himself. Together they could complete the research themselves, given time, but how much easier would it be to obtain the completed project rather than busting your arse to do it yourself? They'd bite, both of them. Sasuke still has no idea why Orochimaru has stolen that particular project – sure, it is potentially extremely profitable, but it requires a lot of tweaking and would take years to perfect the product even before the compulsory test trials. Why not swipe something easier to refine and improve, like the bionic arm or the almost complete eye transplant? No, this seems personal, a hit designed to break him in particular. Orochimaru knew how much Sasuke had riding on the chance to have children with a male partner, his strongest desire. Even if he had to carry them himself, if his partner was not amenable to undergo such dramatic changes in his body, it would still be the chance to carry his child, his flesh and blood. It had been his father's strongest desire to see the family line continue, and since his brother wants nothing to do with the family anymore, it is Sasuke's responsibility to fulfil his father's last wish. Sasuke wants to be bitter about Itachi leaving him to fare for himself, he has been for many years, but he can't deny that Itachi needs something for himself, something he has created away from the Uchiha name. He knows his brother loves him, and that he loves his brother. It is enough.

Or, it was enough before yesterday. Because yesterday a sunflower-yellow whirlwind flew into his life and now everything is different. Now, there are blue eyes looking at him with affection and desire and after just one day he does not want to lose that. Just the thought of Naruto leaning closer to Iruka Umino and looking at him like he looks at Sasuke makes his blood boil. Logic has no place in his mind at three in the morning, only feelings. Feelings that are rapidly making his cock fill as the memory of Naruto displaying himself invitingly before Sasuke, cock and sacks clearly outlined through the denim, swirls behind his eyes.

His want consumes him. The want to get out of his chair, round the desk and drop to his knees between Naruto's open thighs, to bury his face in Naruto's crotch, take in the scent of cedar and bergamot, so much richer down here. He imagines he lifts his hand and drops it over Naruto's stiffening cock, rubbing possessively. His. His to mouth through the cloth, his to caress, his to coax into full hardness as he unzips Naruto's jeans and slips a warm, slightly damp palm to curl around Naruto's arousal, much like he's doing to his own just now. He releases his treat to tug on Naruto's jeans, lowering them to release the gloriously curving, dripping hardness from its confinement. He imagines Naruto's sighs and moans and grunts as he slips his mouth over the tip, tongue flicking out to taste the liquid dribbling from the slit, then lowers his head until Naruto's cock is all in, the head bumping the back of his throat, his nose buried in the fragrant curls at the base, tongue splayed on the underside, feeling the velvety texture filling his mouth and throat. Sasuke palms himself tighter, slipping his hand over the head, collecting the moisture there and using it to slick himself as his hand moves faster, twisting over his glans as he imagines bobbing his head in Naruto's lap, sucking for all he's worth, working on his delicious treat, better than anything Naruto has ever felt, better than he will ever feel because no other mouth will ever again taste what is Sasuke's to taste and touch, and stroke, and suck.

He imagines caressing Naruto's sack, massaging as firmly as he is doing to himself, while his other hand, slick with his spit, reaches lower behind his balls and with the tip of his finger pushes into the puckered opening hidden there, at first gently, then more and more firmly, until Naruto is moaning and begging him to go harder. Then he would slip his finger in to the knuckle and poke around until he finds Naruto's prostate, where a nice, hard jab together with a strong suck would earn him Naruto arching into his mouth and coming with a scream down his throat… which is exactly what happens to Sasuke at the thought of Naruto releasing into his mouth – with a final tug at the head of his cock and two fingers deep in his arse he is spilling all over his stomach, grunting with relief as the coil in his balls unwinds and the tension transmutes into pleasure and relaxation. He slips back into sleep before he even manages to clean himself up.

In the morning he regrets said relaxation as he wakes up wrapped in sticky, spoilt sheets, cock still hanging out of his pants and now decidedly friendly again. Grumbling sleepily at it, he drags himself into the shower and takes care of the problem as quickly as possible – he doesn't want to be late for breakfast.

***

Naruto shifts uncomfortably as he waits for his breakfast date. Oh God, when has he started thinking of Sasuke as his 'date'?

Naruto has had a restless night. His dreams were plagued by long limbs and taut muscles and a rigidly unbending figure walking away from him as he chases it, shouting promises and offers and explanations that he does not remember as he wakes up. It has left him even more unsettled. His shrink would say things like 'fear of abandonment' and 'unwillingness to commit lest he be hurt' and such, Naruto knows all this by heart already. And he is trying, really he is. He has let Jiraiya into his life, hasn't he? Jiraiya is probably the closest thing Naruto has to a father since his old man was killed in the line of duty, and although the old pervert annoys him something fierce most of the time, he would be lost without him in his life. But giving himself completely to another person, like he wants to do for Sasuke – that is something so far beyond terrifying it leaves Naruto shaking with a mixture of wistfulness and dread.

Still, Naruto has never run away from anything in his life and he's not about to start now. He knows with bone-deep certainty that Sasuke wants him as well, and he's not about to give in to his fear and turn tail. If Sasuke can do it, so can he – face things head on and think about it later.

He spies Sasuke's dark head heading his way, almost a head taller than anyone around him. His face breaks into a smile that he does not try to edit, and he has the pleasure of seeing Sasuke almost stumble as he spots him. Two spots of pink flame high in Sasuke's pale cheeks as he tentatively smiles back at him and Naruto's heart flips. Bloody hell, it's only been a day!

Sasuke sits so close to him that their knees touch. Sasuke leaves his there and heat coils in Naruto's stomach at this concession that he's not alone in this, whatever this is.

"Good morning," Sasuke greets him softly. "Did you sleep well?" His eyes are warm and Naruto wants to lose himself in the feeling of safety and belonging just sitting next to Sasuke gives him.

Then a waitress shows up and before she has even greeted them, she is almost sitting in Sasuke's lap. The sight makes Naruto want to growl, push the silly girl away and proclaim emphatically, 'Mine!'. Something must have shown in his face, because Sasuke looks at his face, then politely asks the waitress for two cups of coffee and two English breakfasts and sends her on her way with hardly a glance. Naruto mulishly watches her sashay off, scowling at her back. A touch at his wrist turns him back round to look at Sasuke. The bastard is smirking, but his eyes are still warm, and the sight dispels Naruto's irritation faster than he would have thought possible.

"So, I have thought of something for the bait," Sasuke says calmly, and they discuss specifics for the rest of breakfast.

***

Back at Uchiha Industries Sasuke leads the way into the main lab, followed by Iruka Umino and Shikamaru Nara, one of his senior scientists, as well as Naruto. There, they stage the scene they had planned – the two scientists 'working' for 20 minutes or so, then getting more and more excited as they make a 'breakthrough', all loud and clear to be picked up by the little listening device under the work station. The scientists then leave to 'confirm' the discovery with other scientists, then come back to continue work. Later on, Sasuke comes into the room to congratulate them and remind them to put their work away at the end of the day so that it would be safe in the security room.

The trap is set; now they wait for it to spring.

Strangely, that doesn't happen until two days later. Seems Orochimaru is fond of Fridays for breaking-and-entering enterprises. Sasuke is in his office finishing paperwork when the alarm is set off. It is almost 22.00 but he has been restless these past two days and is aiming to tire himself into a paperwork-induced coma. He and Naruto have spent a lot of time together since their shared breakfast, getting to know things about each other, talking and arguing and laughing and, last night, brushing their lips softly together for a goodnight kiss. It feels weird and strange and absolutely brilliant. Sasuke cannot wait for the damned case to be over so he can spend even more time with Naruto, maybe finally find out the ways his fantasy and the reality differ or coincide.

At the wave of noise that swamps his ears he jumps out of his chair reflexively. Naruto and he have been through the plan countless times – Sasuke is supposed to stay in his office or go down to the Security office to monitor the operation. Naruto is there right now, searching the monitors obsessively for any loopholes that might jeopardise the thieves' apprehension. Though by now he will undoubtedly be on his way to the secure storage room with the FBI's version of a SWAT team.

Sasuke knows he is not needed there, will in fact be more hindrance than help, but he can't help himself. He wants to look those bastards in the eye and ask them why they thought it would be a good idea to fuck with him and his company. At least he is not armed – he is not sure he will be able to hold on to his temper long enough.

Undecided but determined, he makes his way downstairs. As soon as the alarm went off the elevators would have been shut down and the building sealed. Every door with an electronic lock would have snapped shut, including those of the secure storage rooms. So really, there should hardly be any need for all the FBI presence. Better safe than sorry, though.

His feet lead him to the secure storage rooms without consulting his mind. The agents are already there, dressed up in protective Kevlar vests and assault gear, Naruto's blond head in the lead. They all have their weapons pointed at the end of the corridor, where a man in a white lab coat is pressed to the wall, clutching a pile of folders in his arms. The man has a pair of protective glasses on, but Sasuke can clearly distinguish Kabuto's twisted features behind them. Three of the agents approach him cautiously while Naruto watches, a cold expression on his marked face. Kabuto is made to drop the folders he is holding and is then quickly cuffed and taken to an empty office that Naruto had requested be available for holding the perps.

Naruto looks annoyed; Sasuke supposes it is because they only got the background player and not the mastermind behind the thefts. Still, it is a break and they can try to get the information on Orochimaru's location from Kabuto. It won't be easy, but it is a start. He walks closer to Naruto and places a soothing hand on his shoulder. Naruto turns to him and gives him a small smile.

"Let's go up to my office and call the police. They will want to be informed of the goings-on. Come on," Sasuke pushes gently on Naruto's shoulder to get him to move, which he grudgingly does. Sasuke understands the need to get in there and question Kabuto to within an inch of his life, but he also understands the need for all of them to cool off and assess the situation, then change the plan according to the new developments.

Making their way up the stairs takes a bit of time as they are both exhausted from the long day and the comedown from the adrenaline rush. Finally they reach the top floor and walk to Sasuke's office. They are both sunk in their thoughts and so are very quiet; it is probably what saves their lives as they realise that there is someone in Sasuke's office who is most certainly not supposed to be there. The man is sitting in Sasuke's chair, typing away on his computer, a curtain of long black hair obscuring his face from their sight.

Naruto unfreezes first, taking out his gun and motioning for Sasuke to stay behind him. Sasuke is not at all happy with this plan, but goes with it for the time being. Naruto moves quickly but silently to the office door, keeping the gun pointed at Orochimaru's head.

"Stand up from that chair and put your hands on your head, Mr Sannin," Naruto warns in his most professional voice.

Orochimaru looks up sharply from the computer screen. "Ah, Sasuke-kun, you are a little earlier than I anticipated. I thought, surely Kabuto would manage to hold your attention for some time. He has failed me, " Orochimaru sighs. "Pity, because now I'm afraid I cannot allow you or your new friend to leave. You see, I was not supposed to be found until I had managed to distribute all this very interesting, if somewhat misguiding, information to your shareholders."

Sasuke can do nothing but stare. The once handsome man that Sasuke had admired at the beginning of his career is now nothing but a shell of his former self. His skin is wrinkled, his clothes hang off his hunched-up frame and his arms and hands shake where they are lying against the keyboard. Then his words register and Sasuke cannot begin to understand what he or the company has done to warrant such venom from this man.

"Why?" The word falls from his mouth as he moves around Naruto to look at him properly. "Why are you doing all this? Is it money you need? Did you intend to blackmail me?"

Orochimaru looks equal parts surprised and amused. "Blackmail you? Well, I must admit it has a nice ring to it, but no, my dear boy." His expression changes alarmingly fast into one of vicious hatred. "I intend to crush you. You and this self-righteous corporation that is so blind it does not recognise genius when it sees him. I could have done _so much_ for you. My research could have been worth billions to this company, yet you chose to ignore this and cut me off! Itachi was no help, the little runt; as soon as he saw the predicted outcomes he ran off to his mommy and Kakashi made sure I would never work in Biosciences again."

Orochimaru pushes the chair back and stands up, still behind the desk. He stretches his back as far as it would go, but with a pained grunt falls back into the hunch. Naruto seems to be made of ice, standing unmoving half to the side in front of Sasuke, eyes fastened to his prey.

Orochimaru spares him a glance and a sneer; then he looks at Sasuke again. "So you see, I really had no choice. And I know how much you love your little project, a synthetic womb! I never heard such nonsense! I was going to go through the research and tell you _exactly_ why it would never work, so that you were faced head-on with the crushing disappointment of seeing your dreams die. Oh, yes, that would have been a fitting revenge. Ah well, never mind the details now, at least you have lived to know the futility of your hopes before you die, just like I do. I have cancer, you see. I only have a few months, so guns don't really scare me in any way, boy!" This last he spits at Naruto, who does not so much as flinch.

Sasuke stands there, accepting the realisation that the man is quite insane. It liberates some of his tension, knowing that this situation is fixable; the relevant departments still have their research and can continue as planned. This man or his accomplice cannot harm him or Uchiha Industries in any way beyond Orochimaru's delusions. The thought makes him smile.

The bullet comes out of nowhere. One minute he is looking at Orochimaru with real pity for the first time; the next he sees him pull a gun from beneath his jacket and shoot it straight at Sasuke's chest. Or where his chest would have been if Naruto had not thrown himself at Sasuke and pushed him to the floor a fraction of a second earlier. With one arm braced on Sasuke's back and one knee on the floor, Naruto shoots a shocked-looking Orochimaru right between the eyes. As the body falls over the desk Naruto is frantically checking Sasuke for injuries. His eyes are wild as they run over Sasuke's body, his arms, his legs, his face, everywhere while he's begging Sasuke to be okay in a hoarse voice. It pulls Sasuke out of his shock to the present and he holds tight onto Naruto's arms as he repeats, over and over, "I'm okay. Naruto, stop. I'm okay, I'm not harmed."

It is not until the blood runs down the fingers of his right hand that he realises that _he_ may be okay, but _Naruto_ has certainly been hit. It is Sasuke's turn to frantically tear Naruto's shirt off to assess the damage to his left shoulder, which is thankfully comparatively minor. The bullet seems to have torn through the shoulder muscle and safely come out of the other side without making contact with the bone or any major blood vessels. It is a fairly small wound and Sasuke is almost pathetically grateful that Orochimaru's gun was a small-calibre one. He realises that the wound is as non-life-threatening as is possible in this situation, and he starts to calm down at last.

Naruto looks down at his shoulder and hums distractedly. "Huh, will you look at that?"

His wound hurts a lot less when Sasuke wallops him on the back of his head. "You stupid idiot, what were you thinking throwing yourself over me? He could have shot your head! Fuck, Naruto, you weren't thinking at all, were you?"

Sasuke in the midst of his wrath is a sex god, Naruto decides fuzzily as the blood loss gets a bit much and he sways on his knees. As Sasuke gently lowers him to the floor and puts pressure on the still-bleeding wound, he continues to yell at him until his team finally (mercifully) make it up the stairs, secure the room and call an ambulance. Sasuke resists all efforts to pull him away to be checked over, insisting that he is fine, there was only time for one shot and Naruto got the brunt of that. Naruto winces as Sasuke's weight shifts against his wound to yell at someone behind him, and Sasuke immediately looks contrite. _At least the yelling has stopped_, he thinks hazily as Sasuke smoothes his hair away from his eyes with the knuckles of one bloody hand.

He is fine, he knows; it's just so difficult to get up, or move at all. _Blood loss will do that to you, especially combined with your recent lack of sleep_, his blurry brain supplies. The shot must have gone deeper than they thought if he's losing this much blood from the wound. His shirt that Sasuke has commandeered in place of a towel is already soaked; there's even blood splatters on Sasuke's formally pristine blue shirt. Still, the pressure on the wound is doing the trick and the bleeding seems to be slowing if the relieved expression on Sasuke's face is anything to go by.

He loses some time until the medics arrive and insist on taking him to the hospital to be cleaned up and bandaged; they also insist he stay the night there. Naruto is not particularly happy with that outcome, but one look at Sasuke's worried face convinces him to just shut up and take it like a man. He'll be the butt of jokes for months at the office, he thinks and winces internally.

***

The surgeon in the OR stitches him up, bandages his shoulder and arm in a makeshift sling and pronounces him perfectly fine, apart from the blood loss. He does, however also insist on keeping him overnight for observation. Naruto, armed with the comforting knowledge that his death is not imminent refuses to stay, instead inviting himself to Sasuke's apartment for the night. He does not budge despite the surgeon's advice and Sasuke's alternate yelling and cajoling. Finally, the doctor gives up but insists Naruto stay until the bank of saline solution a nurse has deftly attached to his right hand is finished. It is a compromise and Naruto takes it.

Meanwhile Sasuke has finished freaking out and is now in the stairwell, talking to Kakashi on his mobile, being briefed on events back in the offices. It seems Kabuto has cracked in the face of Orochimaru's death and is singing like a canary. Kakashi seems to have everything firmly in hand, so Sasuke tells him he won't be back in for a few days, leaving him in charge of things in the office for the time being. Kakashi's teasing is inevitable, but almost welcome after the events of the past few hours. And this time there is actual reason for it, Sasuke concedes with a blush that thankfully no one is around to see.

***

Having Naruto in his flat is fun, in a car crash sort of way. He refuses to lie down, encasing himself in the sofa and demanding to be fed. That Sasuke yells and grumbles does not seem to faze him in the least. Sasuke does, of course, feed him but draws the line at the request for a stiff drink. The request for a stiff something else is also firmly, if blushingly, denied despite the pouting that results in.

When Sasuke sees Naruto drooping, he finally bullies him into bed, but only manages that after agreeing to go with him. While he changes for bed in the bathroom Sasuke allows himself to fall apart at the thought of what might have happened, if only for ten minutes or so. He knows he has been quiet as anything, having muffled his mouth with his towel, but Naruto still seems to know and drags him to lie down next to him on the bed.

"Silly Sasuke," he murmurs in his ear, holding tight to him with his uninjured arm. "I'm right here. You won't get rid of me this easily. I promise," he goes on softly when he feels Sasuke's body shuddering next to him. He kisses Sasuke slowly at first, just a touch of lips sliding against each other. Sasuke groans and drags him closer, mindful of his injured shoulder. The kiss turns hard, almost desperate, teeth clashing, lips bruising, hands grasping at the other's back and hair. Sasuke draws Naruto even closer as he gentles the kiss until once again they are softly nipping at each other's lips. The weight of Naruto's warm body next to his is heavenly, Naruto's soft breaths teasing his collarbone. Sasuke thinks his sleep would have been greatly disturbed if they weren't both so tired, and if the thought of Naruto in pain did not wilt his erection before it has even formed.

Naruto cuddles into his side and yawns, his bound arm and shoulder scratching Sasuke's bare chest. Sasuke smiles sleepily in the dark. There will be plenty of time for regaining control in the morning.

**Reviews are love!**


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